Metal feeder



0ct.` 30, 1934.A J. A. WALKER I METAL FEEDER Filed Nov. 30. 1931 2 Shests-She'et l INVENTOR. JosPHA.WALKeR,

ATTORNEY.-

oct. 3o, 1934. i J, A WALKER 1,978,775

lMETAL FEEDER Filed Nov. so. 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 (Jose PH AWALKER ATTORNEY.'

Patented ct. 30, 11934 r EUNITE STATES PATENT FFIC METAL FEEDER Joseph Autz Walker, Medford, Oreg.

Application November 30, 1931, Serial N o. 578,094

claims. (c1. 22-80) This` invention relates to metal feeders for use 19 that are, in turn, adjustably mounted on a suitin connection with type-casting machines, and able support.. Through the medium of this arhas for its object to provide means whereby metal rangement, the housing may be adjusted to pigs may be automatically fed to the metal pot varying positions to accommodate it to casting 5 in such manner that the molten metal in the pot machines of various forms. Openings are formed 60 will be maintainedat a uniform level, and even in the side-walls of the housing l0 for receiving temperature, thus insuring a marked economy in sheaves and ZLcarried by shafts 22, for a purgas or electricity and a higher quality of slugs. pose to be described..

The machineof the present invention contem- The numeral 23 designates a feed screw, as a 10 plates the use of feeding mechanism, adapted to whole, having a `'relatively long threaded portion 65 feed one or more metal pigs into the molten metal 24, and reduced smooth portions and 25'. 'I'he in the pot in an even manner thus permitting the uppermost smooth portion 25 terminates in a stop metal to meltv gradually, thefeeding being absoshoulder 26, for engagement with feed mechalutely smooth and-free from jerking. nism, to be described, and serves to limit the 15 A further object of the invention resides in the downward movement of the screw. The screw 7o element of safety in its feeding action, since it 23 passes through the housing 10 centrally therecannot slip or overfeed the pot, keeps the metal at of, and is provided with a groove 27, for receiving a constant level for large as well 'as small slugs, key ribs 28, formed in the bores l5 and 16. It and thus results in a marked saving of time to will, therefore, be apparent that the screw 23 2,0 the operator. may partake .of vertical movement with respect 75 Another and important object is the extreme to the housing l0, but cannot turn therein. simplicity of the device, having few and Vsimple Means are provided to feed the screw in a verparts, is readily assembled or disassembled, and tical manner, comprising a cup-like cylindrical its mounting adapts it to machines casting various member 29, open at its upper end and normally 25 sizes of slugs. l closed by a head 30, rigidly secured thereto by 80 Other and important objects of the invention screws or like fastening means. The head is will be apparent during the course of the followprovided with vertically arranged ratchet teeth ing description, reference being had to the accom- 3l. The member 29, see Figures 2 and 3, is rotatpanying drawings. ably mounted within the housing l0, and engages 30 Referring tothe drawings, anti-friction balls 32. The member 29 is pro- 85 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a metal feeder vided with a centrally disposed, downwardly taconstructed in accordance with the invention, pering bore 33, having diametrically oppositely ar- Figure 2 is an enlarged central Vertical section ranged dove-tail grooves 34 in its sides. An thereof, parts in elevation, opening 35, corresponding in diameter to the bore Figure 3 is a similar view, parts broken away, l5, and in alignment therewith, is formed in the 90 Figure 4 is a top plan View of the device, bottom wall of the member 29, for the passage of i Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line the screw 23. Mounted within the bore 33 is a 5-5 of Figure 3, two-part feed nut 36, having dove-tails 37 for Figure 6 is a similar view on line 6 6 of .Figure engagement within the grooves 34. As clearly 40. 3, and shown, the nut 36 is cone-shaped, corresponding 95 Figure 7 is a perspective View of a feeding eleto the taper of the bore 33. The two halves of ment, the nut 36 are jointly provided with a screw- Referring specifically to the drawings, the nuthreaded bore 38 of a diameter and pitch c orremeral 10 designates a, preferably, cylindrical mesponding to the threads of the screw 23.

45 tallic housingfor'med open at its upper end and Means are provided to rotate the member 29 loo normally closed by a head 11, secured thereto by and nut 36, comprising a ratchet sleeve 39, carrybolts or like fastening means. The lower end 12 ing downwardly directed ratchet teeth 40, engagof the housing is provided with a centrally dising the teeth 3l. The sleeve 39 is provided with posed boss 13, partially screw-threaded, and the circumferential ribs 41, forming cable grooves 42.

56 head 11 is likewise provided with a similar boss The uppermost groove 42 receives a cable 43, while 105 14, also partially threaded. The bosses 13 and 14 the lower groove receives a cable 44, the cables are aligned and are provided with bores 15 and 43 and 44 having their ends securely fastened to 16. The bosses 13 and 14 receive bracket arms 17, the sleeve 39, and pass around the grooves in opand are clamped thereto by nuts 18. The bracket posite directions. The cables 43 and 44, in turn,

`S arms 17, in turn, pass through adjustable sleeves pass about the sheaves 21 and 20, respectively. 110

The ratchet sleeve 39 is rotatably mounted on a tubular extension of the head 30, as shown.

The screw 23 carries, at its lower end, a pair of links 45, pivotally secured thereto, as at 46, and these links, in turn, carry a suspension hook 47, adapted to suspend one or two metal pigs (not shown) in such position as to be gradually fed into the metal pot.

A thumb lever 48 is rigidly supported upon the end of the suspension hook shaft 48 and serves to swing the hook to the left and upward causing the remaining eye of pig to drop into the molten The cable 43 is connected to a float 49 that normally hangs above the metal, and as the metal pot moves forward, it drops a distance of approximately 1% inches, being stopped when it engages the level of the molten metal. The cable 44 engages the outer end of a stroke adjusting arm 44', pivoted at 45 to the casing l0 and provided with a plurality of apertures 46. A cable 47 engages any one of the apertures at its upper end and the back arm of the metal pot at its lower end. It will thus be seen that motion imparted to the cable 44 will be transmitted to the arm 44 and cable 47.

yIn use, the device is mounted adjacent the casting machine in a position over the metal pot. The float 49 is connected with the cable 43, and permitted to hang above the molten metal, and the cable 44 connected with the back arm of the metal pot through the medium of the arm 44 and cable 47'. The device is then adjusted vertically to take up slack in the cables. Screw 23 is then yforced upwardly by the thumb lever 45, until the lower smooth part 25 has passed above the topofthe nut 36. The nut 36 will disengage the threads of the screw 23 when forced upwardly, due to the dovetail engagement with the inner walls of the member 29, and immediately upon the passage of the last thread 24, will drop back and engage the smooth part 25. The screw 23 may then be released, and the lowermost n thread 24 will rest upon the top of the nut 36, in

starting position. A metal pig is then suspended from the hook 47, with its lowermost end just entering the molten metal in the pot.

As the pot is moved to casting position, the cable 44 is slackened, and this slack is taken up by the lloat 49 acting upon the 'cable 43, as a weight for rotating the ratchet sleeve 39. If the level of the metal in the pot has fallen below the predetermined level, the iioat 49 will fall sumciently far to cause the sleeve 39 to rotate sufficiently far to permit teeth 40 to ride over and engage the next set of teeth 3l. Thus, when the metal pot is returned to its normal position, it pulls upon the cable 44, rotating the sleeve 39 and carrying with it the member 29, through the medium of the ratchet engagement with head 30. Rotation of the member 29 naturally carries with it the nut 36, and the nut 36 operates to feed the screw 23 downwardly a distance equal to 'approxvimately a half revolution of the screw. In the fevent the level of the metal in pot has not dropped sufficiently low as to permit the float to rotate the sleeve a suflicient distance to engage a new set of teeth, the return of the pot will merely bring the ratchet back to its original position, and no metal will be fed into the pot. This feeding action continues until the screw 23 has been fed downwardly to a point where the upper smooth part 25 is engaged by the nut 36, at which time the stop shoulder will support the weight of the screw. The weight of the metal suspended on the hook 47 will, at all times, keep the nut in firm feeding engagement with the screw.

An audible signal device 50 may be mounted upon one of the bracket arms 17 with its operating finger projecting into the path of travel of the upper end of the feed screw. Thus a signal will be sounded when the screw has completed its downward stroke.

It will be apparent, from the foregoing, that an extremely simple and highly eiicient mechanism has been provided for feeding metal to metal pots of casting machines. The mounting of the device permits a convenient and accurate adjustment of the float, drive cables and proper positioning over the metal pot. The automatic feed results in a great saving of time to the operator and insures of a constant level of the metal. The device further is constructed in such manner that it can be assembled or disassembled in a minimum of time. The resetting of the feed screw 23 requires butthe fraction of a minute, since it is only necessary to force the screw upwardly.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that it includes within its Apurview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A metal feeder of the character described for use in Atype-casting machines, comprising a housing, adjustable brackets for supporting said housing in proximity to a melting pot, a feed screw slidable through said housing, rotary means for imparting sliding'movement to said screw, a clutch for controlling said rotary means, a connection between said clutch and the melting pot for imparting rotation thereto, a float for controlling the degreey of movement of said clutch, and a supporting means carried by the screw for suspending a metal pig in the melting pot.

2. A device of the character described, for use in connection with a meltingpot, comprising a cylindrical housing, adjustable bracket arms for supporting said housing in a position adjacent said pot, a feed screw slidable through the housing and splined therein, said screw provided with threaded and smooth portions, a rotary feed member 'operable in said housing, a clutch for imparting movement to said feed member, said feed member having a conical recess, a two-part conical feed nut mounted in said recess for engagement with the screw, positive guide meansl for said nut, means for limiting the sliding movement of said screw in either direction, a metal suspension hook carried by the lower end of the screw, a fioat, av connection between theL oat and the clutch, a connection between the pot and said clutch, said float acting to set said clutch for a given movement while said pot connection acts to impart rotation to the clutch and the feed member.

3. Mechanism for feeding metal pig to a melting pot comprising a lead screw, a multipart nut having sections for engaging the screw to operate the same, the sectionsof said nut having outer peripheral cone-shaped surfaces and provided with lugs, a cup having an inner coneshaped surface corresponding with the conical surfaces of the sections of the nut, said cup having grooves receiving said lugs to prevent relative rotation between the nut and the cup, a ratchet means for rotating the cup by stages, means for connecting the melting pot with the cup to rotate the same and float means for controlling the degree of rotation of said ratchet.

f uit ico ilo

ist

4. In mechanism for feeding metal pig to a melting pot, a lead screw, means for supporting a pig by the lead screw, a split nut surrounding the lead screw and having a cone-shaped exterior surface, a cup having a cone-shaped inner surface receiving the nut, the said split nut being free to rise in the cup when sufficient pressure is exerted upon the lead screw to lift the same whereby the split nut will raise and separate and disengage the lead screw thereby allowing said lead screw to be raised to the highest limit.

5. Mechanism for feeding metal pig to a melting pot comprising a housing, a feed screw slidable thru said housing, means carried by the housing for preventing rotation of the screw, rotary means carried within the housing for imparting feeding movement to the screw, a ratchet clutch for imparting movement to said rotary means, said ratchet clutch having means for connection with a melting pot, a float, means connecting said float and the ratchet clutch, said ratchet clutch connection acting to move the clutch in one direction while the pot connection means serves to move the clutch in an opposite direction.

JOSEPH AUTZ WALKER. 

